Fernando Alonso was spared the Italian media’s wrath after Ferrari opened its 2012 campaign with the troubled F2012 car.
“Alonso once again saved Ferrari from disaster,” said the authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport, after the Spanish driver drove the car to fifth place in Australia.

The under-pressure Felipe Massa’s opening race, however, “was a nightmare”, the daily newspaper added.

Jaime Alguersuari, the former Toro Rosso driver who is now a media analyst, also praised fellow Spaniard Alonso.

“For Ferrari, it is an unique advantage to have a driver like Fernando Alonso,” he told El Mundo newspaper.

“He did a sensational Sunday, with intelligence and ambition, which will push and raise the team, I’m sure.”

Alonso remains confident.

“There may be cars quicker than us now,” he is quoted by Britain’s Daily Mail, “but it’s like Manchester United or Chelsea who play badly for a game but still win 1-0.

“Before this race we were working 24 hours (a day),” Alonso is quoted by Marca, “now it must be 25.”

The Spanish press, however, is livid.

“The fifth place is really a miracle,” said the sports daily Marca. “The car is ridiculous, rendering the team a midfielder.”

Jenson Button, meanwhile, received universal praise from the international press corps, as did the fact that Red Bull’s dominance appears to have been knocked by McLaren.

“That’s good news for everybody except (Sebastian) Vettel,” insisted Corriere dello Sport.

The fight, however, has just begun.

“Vettel turned the middling new Red Bull into a good race car,” said Gazzetta, referring to the German’s performance on Sunday, “which is a warning to the opposition.

“He is still the world champion, and he will be hunting his first triumph of the year in Sepang.”

Tuttosport, meanwhile, said Mercedes – which until Sunday’s race was the talk of the Melbourne paddock – was the “big disappointment” of the 2012 opener.

At Hockenheim, the two top teams Red Bull and Ferrari have particularly impressive in qualifying with an incredible speed. Neither McLaren nor Mercedes, Renault or Williams had a chance against Vettel, Alonso and their teammates. “I wonder where you now herbekommt seven tenths of a second” says Champion Jenson Button had been surprised on Saturday afternoon after the time of hunting.

The Briton was no explanation that his team suddenly has such a significant backlog. The declaration could possibly in the front wings of Red Bull and Ferrari to be hidden. According to information received by ‘Motorsport-Total.com’ the solutions of the two teams by the Automobile Association FIA be viewed critically.
The FIA expects the two teams on the possible explanations flexible front wing. The allegations that had been triggered by photographs that show a significantly small distance between the road edge and wing while driving. When one of the cars, the distance seems to be much larger. In the regulations, a corresponding minimum distance is fixed.

“Photos must be taken as a basis always dangerous,” wards off the Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “You never know whether the camera has moved, or how much petrol, for example just in the vehicle.” The head of Sebastian Vettel is certain: “Our car is in all respects with the applicable rules. Whoever wants to can protest, yes.”

With a special stress test checks the FIA, the maximum deflection of aerodynamic components. These tests have Red Bull and Ferrari have to pass, as all other teams. Now there will be further reviews of the elements. Should the part of Red Bull and Ferrari prove to be legal, have other teams like a new construction site: The front wing would have to be imitated.

Michael Schumacher failed to 0.008 seconds at the touch of moving into the top 10: “That we must accept so”

“One must remember that our weapons were somewhat blunter than expected and as predicted,” says Michael Schumacher, who failed in the time hunting only 0.008 seconds on entry into Q3. “In free practice it was quite reasonable with fifth and sixth place. But for qualifying, we are then something has been passed. If Nico Hulkenberg have succeeded in a normal round, then we would have been even at the end on position ten and eleven.”

Schumacher’s team-mate Nico Rosberg Mercedes to beat the Williams rookie in the last section. “We are in the stands nine and eleven, thus the better side. So we can target at the start maybe a little,” says the 41-year-old. “People must also be realistic. There is no reason to believe that tomorrow we can go much faster in order to achieve our targeted podium.”
At Hockenheim, not the exception as the tires to the special Mercedes-problem had been. “We were simply not competitive,” explains Schumacher. “I had on my car a few problems with the brakes, which have caused some vibration. But even that would not see me as the reason why we lacked the time.”

Schumacher appealed to the fans: Press the “thumb and may do a rain dance!” The podium is hoped, however, out of reach. “Whether we can take a different strategy, we must analsieren yet,” the world champion. “Our two cars were within a hundredth, it was not more. We must now acceptable. But who knows me, knows that I fight to the end.”